This was a crazy event to cover. On Saturday, Seattle Snow Day trucked in 162,000 pounds of snow from the mountains and dumped it at Seattle Center, where organizers expected around 6,000 people to participate in “The World’s Largest Snowball Fight.” 5,387 snowball chuckers over 18 years old ended up attending Seattle Snow Day — enough to break the Guinness Book of World Records, organizers said. The day started with about a dozen teams building elaborate (and sometimes strikingly not so) forts to protect themselves from the snowball onslaught to come.

A few hours later, and it was a free for all. With the sunny weather earlier in the day, followed by quickly plummeting temperatures by the time of the fight, there was a lot of ice in the snow. And it was dark. Brave people tried to cross through “enemy” lines, but that was a perilous mission. Many, this photographer included, got hit all over (hard) by snowballs flying through the freezing air, but nearly everyone seemed to have a smile on their face. It’s just not every day that an event can bring people together in this city. And if it allows us all to play like kids for a moment, well, all the better.

Participants walk past a fort during Seattle Snow Day Saturday Jan. 12 at Seattle Center. 5, 837 people came together for a snowball fight that broke the Guinness Book of World Records for the event. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

People dance as the final minutes of the snow fort competition wind down during Seattle Snow Day Saturday Jan. 12 at Seattle Center. 5, 837 people came together for a snowball fight that broke the Guinness Book of World Records for the event. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Claire Todd of Tacoma helps pack snowballs for the Attendible team during Seattle Snow Day Saturday Jan. 12 at Seattle Center. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

“It’s like running through a sprinkler of ice,” Jeremiah Hughes from Hoquiam said as he helped shovel snow for a team he he didn’t know during Seattle Snow Day Saturday Jan. 12 at Seattle Center. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Louisa Diaz, center, and friend, Anton Sobolik, react to a large amount of snow falling on them from a snow blower near by during Seattle Snow Day Saturday Jan. 12. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Participants mug for the camera as the snow fort building competition winds down. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Brad Kellagher works on the fort for Copious Love Productions, a local theater group, as friend Meg Philips, center, takes a break. “Everyone out here is going all out to win,” Kellagher said. “We just came to have some fun. Win or lose.” Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

The snowball fight began a few minutes before 5 p.m. with no official recognition or start signal. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Brave people running between the various snow forts try to protect their head and face from incoming snowballs. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Brave people running between the various snow forts try to protect their head and face from incoming snowballs. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Brave people running between the various snow forts try to protect their head and face from incoming snowballs. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

A snowball fighter takes cover from behind his fort. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Brave people running between the various snow forts try to protect their head and face from incoming snowballs. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

A participant cheers as he recovers their team flag from another team’s fort while running through the grounds. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

A participant cheers as he recovers their team flag from another team’s fort while running through the grounds. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

A participant cheers as he recovers their team flag from another team’s fort while running through the grounds. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Brave people running between the various snow forts try to protect their head and face from incoming snowballs. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Many people were all smiles as snow hurtled through the air, even if it did hurt as it struck them. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Many people were all smiles as snow hurtled through the air, even if it did hurt as it struck them. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Icy conditions lead many to slip and slide around, sometimes into their friends or fellow participants nearby. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

The snowball fight comes to a close. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Event participants look on as officials from the Guinness Book of World records certify that 5,387 people took part in Seattle Snow Day, enough to break the record for biggest snowball fight. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

An event participant makes a snow angel after officials from the Guinness Book of World records certified that 5,387 people took part in Seattle Snow Day, enough to break the record for biggest snowball fight. Photo by Daniel Berman/www.bermanphotos.com

Today I photographed the Seattle Marathon, which had about 10,000 participants, for the event company ASI Photo.
I made these frames in between trying to photograph as many of those 10,000 as I could.

It was amazing to see some of the same faces from early on, later, at the finish line. Seeing the runners’ looks of sheer joy and utter exhaustion, as well as their heartfelt messages scrawled on shirts, made this a really rewarding and interesting assignment.

I was lucky enough this year to be credentialed for one of the coolest events all year in Seattle: Bumbershoot. Between the dozens of music stages, the performing arts spectacles, and the myriad of other activities, Bumbershoot is a visually-stimulating environment. It can really only be explored by wandering. My favorite pictures from yesterday are from when I just kept wandering the massive Seattle Center grounds.

In all, I shot something like 10 bands yesterday in as many hours, and will be doing the same thing for the next two days. It’s like the musical olympics.

Hotels perform inside the EMP Sky Church during day 1 of Bumbershoot Saturday September 5, 2009 in Seattle. Photo by Daniel Berman/SeattlePI.com

One of my interests as a photographer is documenting people with whom I don’t have a lot in common. By not having things in common, I can document what is interesting or unusual about them, things I might overlook otherwise. When I found myself without an assignment over the weekend of the 200 Seattle Tattoo Expo, I jumped to cover it for the Seattle PI. Although I documented the event itself, which featured close to 100 tattoo artists creating work at the expo, and thousands of tattooed patrons visiting exhibits and admiring artwork, I knew that portraits of the attendees would be a terrific idea.

I arrived on Friday on day 1 of the Seattle Tattoo Expo, and set up a black backdrop on a wall near the main entrance of the grounds. Lighting was accomplished by 2 Nikon SB800 speedlights, one into a medium Photoflex softbox with grid, and another bare for rim light. Flashes were triggered with Pocket Wizard Plus II Transceivers.

So as tattooed attendees walked by, I asked them if they wanted pose for a quick portrait. Some did not, and that is okay — I would much rather my subject be into the portrait session than to be feeling hesitation. It was a lot of fun getting to meet these people, and hear the stories behind their favorite tattoo — or the tattoo they were working on. I don’t have any tattoos, so hearing their perspective gave me some insight into why people get them.

Without further ado, some of the portraits I made of the Seattle Tattoo Expo attendees:

Folklife is one of the few events in Seattle that can bring out the crowds. Every year the four-day cultural music and arts festival attracts thousands to Seattle Center. The days are long and filled with the sights and sounds of laughing, cheering, clapping, rhythmic drumming, and of course singing. More importantly, the festival offers something for everyone: I saw young’ns running through International Fountain, hippies toking, teenagers snuggling, and older people watching on, all in a state of bemused horror. Folklife is a laid-back experience precisely because there is so much going on. The constant din of the festival really only hits you upon leaving, when finally, there is silence.

Folklife Festival at Seattle Center May 22-25, 2009.

Folklife Festival at Seattle Center May 22-25, 2009.

Folklife Festival at Seattle Center May 22-25, 2009.

Folklife Festival at Seattle Center May 22-25, 2009.

Folklife Festival at Seattle Center May 22-25, 2009.

Folklife Festival at Seattle Center May 22-25, 2009.

Folklife Festival at Seattle Center May 22-25, 2009.

Folklife Festival at Seattle Center May 22-25, 2009.

Folklife Festival at Seattle Center May 22-25, 2009.

I have never seen so many kids with free hugs signs, what a strange phenomenon.